Approximately twenty million individuals or 5% of the United States population suffer from asthma and 20% suffer from allergic rhinitis. Successful clinical management of asthma in children has the potential to decrease this burden by lowering the disproportionate costs of hospitalization and acute care for pediatric asthma patients. Despite increased knowledge regarding the pathogenesis of the disease and the availability of effective anti-inflammatory agents, particularly inhaled corticosteroids, the prevalence of asthma and disease-related morbidity continues to remain high in children.
It is widely believed that a major contributing factor to the rising prevalence of these disorders is poor indoor air quality and the allergens contained in that air. Indoor environments are sources of many common allergens such as dust mites, mold spores, cockroaches, pets and their by-products, which have been linked with adverse health effects. This has led to the belief that effective treatment should include filtering out the allergens and administration of drugs which reduce the sensitivity of asthma sufferers to allergens.
There are known air purification systems which filter and irradiate air by germicidal ultraviolet to prevent spread tuberculosis and other infectious diseases (U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,264,888; 6,464,760; 5,997,619; 4,210,429). These and other known air purification system are able substantially purify the air but did not affect the health of asthmatic patients. The studies of health effect of air filtration did not demonstrate significant improvement in any measure of the disease activity (R. Wood at al., A Placebo-controlled Trial of a HEPA Air Cleaner in the Treatment of Cat Allergy, AM J RESPIR CRIT CARE MED 1998;158: 115-120.; E. McDonald at al. Effect of Air Filtration Systems on Asthma, Chest. 2002;122: 1535-1542)
There are number of ultraviolet germicidal systems that have been patented, but as in the case of the scientific literature mentioned above, those patents teach little about how to position and operate the devices to achieve health effect in asthmatic and allergic patients.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,210,429 by Golstein, employs a “squirrel-cage” type blower which draws air into an enclosure through an air intake filter, through the blower, and through a sterilization chamber containing ultraviolet lights. The air leaves the sterilization chamber, passes through a second filter and a charcoal filter and finally exits through an outlet. The specification indicates that the purpose of the device is to remove “pollens, lung damaging dust, smoke, bacteria and any one of a number of other irritants and micro-organisms” and that it does so for “particles down to 0.3 microns in size with an efficiency of 99.9%”. The device has three distinct filters including a very fine filter for removing extremely small particles, a charcoal filter for removing odors and a pre-filter for removing particles. This extensive filtration would require a powerful blower to achieve effective air purification. The device designed for air purification. Therefore, the patent teaches nothing about the use of the device for the purpose for treatment of respiratory diseases or the optimal irradiation of the air flow or the positioning of the device for that purpose.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,894 by Nelson is for a hospital room to quarantine patients with tuberculosis or other respiratory diseases caused by airborne pathogens. Although one embodiment of the system includes an air circulation circuit with ultraviolet lights, the patent teaches nothing about the use of the device for the purpose for treatment of respiratory diseases.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,264,888 by Palestro teaches about an apparatus and process for destroying airborne pathogenic bacteria such as the tuberculosis bacteria. Ultraviolet lights of a sufficient intensity are positioned within a sterilization chamber where they kill bacteria suspended in the form of microdroplets of sputum in the air stream. The apparatus is configured to fit behind a wall in a room, or preferably, above a suspended ceiling. The patent teaches nothing about the use of the device for the purpose for treatment of respiratory diseases or the optimal irradiation of the air flow or the positioning of the device for that purpose.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,635,133 and 6,328,937 by Glazman teach about a method and apparatuses for killing microorganism in a flowing fluid medium using germicidal beams as a means for killing the microorganisms in a straight portion of the flow path. These patens teach about effective, economical, and reliable method and apparatus for air or liquids disinfection. The patents teach nothing about the use of the apparatuses for the purpose for treatment of respiratory diseases or the optimal irradiation of the air flow or the positioning of the device for that purpose.
It is recognized among almost all physicians that systemic corticosteroids are usually required for the treatment of severe asthmatics. Systemic corticosteroids have significant anti inflammatory effects and, if given early enough to an asthmatic, they can effectively shorten the length and decrease the severity of acute asthma. However, when given over the long term for severe chronic asthma, such efficacy, for this condition, is accompanied by a long list of severe side effects, including cataracts, hypertension, diabetes, peptic ulcer, osteoporosis, poor wound healing, adrenal suppression, etc. Many frequently prescribed drugs are suspected to cause acute or drug-induced pancreatitis (Trivedi CD, J Clin Gastroenterol. 2005 September;39(8):709-16). The risk of developing of side effects and complications could be reduced by lowering the consumption of the drugs; however, this is not advisable because it would reduce the effectiveness of the treatment.
There is known a method for reducing the inflammatory response in tissues of a patient, by contacting the tissue with an effective, inflammation-reducing amount of a liquid or gaseous fluorocarbon (U.S. Pat. No. 5,733,939). This method requires complicated technique of fluorocarbon delivery and safety concerns because fluorocarbon propellants may be hazardous if they are deliberately abused. Inhalation of high concentrations of aerosols sprays has brought about cardiovascular toxic effects and even death, especially under conditions of hypoxia.
There are also known (U.S. Pat. No. 6,482,391) method of treatment of asthma comprising a surface active phospholipid (SAPL) is prepared in the form of a fine powder and administered to the lungs in a gas stream. The application of this treatment or the application of the steroids involves the risk of side effects and adverse events, such as liver damage or viral/fungal infections.
Although we do not wish to be bound by any particular theory of the invention, the present invention is based on the approach that the airway inflammation and reactivity associated with asthma could be reduced by lowering the level of exposure to extrinsic factors associated with asthma and by exposing the patient to denatured airborne allergens.